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2003 Ford Expedition brakes problems

87 complaints (14% of all complaints for this car). Typical mileage when it fails: 27,100. 9 crashes reported.

owner complaints
87
of this car's complaints
14%
typical mileage
27,100
crashes
9
recalls
0

Which part fails

  • Foundation components: disc: rotor
    16
  • Foundation components: disc: pads
    12
  • Antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip
    10
  • Foundation components: hoses, lines/piping, and fittings
    4
  • Disc: pads
    3
  • Foundation components: disc
    2
  • Disc: rotor
    2
  • Disc
    2

At what mileage

Complaints by mileage at the time of the problem.

0k-25k
25k-50k
50k-75k
75k-100k
100k-125k
125k-150k
150k-175k
175k-200k
200k+

Ford Expedition brakes problems in other years

1997200020052010201520202026

Specific symptoms reported on the 2003 Ford Expedition brakes

Phrases found in the owners' own descriptions, so one complaint can mention several symptoms.

Brake failure 20Grinding brakes 12ABS 10

Related recalls

No recalls on record for this model year.

What 2003 Ford Expedition owners say

Most recent owner complaints, unedited.

Filed Dec 8, 2023 · Brakes, Electrical · VA · crash

The brakes are burning while driving & the emergency brakes are not applied. The power windows are failing 1 by 1.

Filed Feb 4, 2017 · Brakes · 113,789 miles · VA

Experienced a complete brake failure after a 6 hour drive in heavy traffic from nj to va. Parked the car in the driveway for 30 minutes, and upon backing out of the driveway, the brake pedal went to the floor. Parked the car and found brake fluid on the ground. Found brake line rusted through on the cross support under the engine. This is a serious issue that could have resulted in an accident and major injury had this occurred on the drive in heavy city traffic. The vehicle has 113000 miles on it. We have had other manufacturers vehicles with over 200000 miles and no brake line issues. This is clearly a defective part/design issue and due to the safety risk, ford should take action. We had a 1990 f150 that had the same issue in 2002 at 100000 miles. We will be checking our 2004 f150 very carefully.

Filed Nov 22, 2016 · Brakes · 169,000 miles · LA · crash · 1 injury

Tl* the contact owned a 2003 ford expedition. While driving 15 MPH and making a sharp right turn, the brakes and emergency brake failed without warning. The vehicle crashed into two parked vehicles. The air bags deployed. A police report was filed. One passenger located in the rear seat sustained a fractured neck, which required medical attention. The vehicle was towed to a hotel. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 169,000.

Filed Sep 13, 2016 · Brakes, Electrical · 224,000 miles · TX

2003 for expedition not running properly shutting down while driving passenger window stuck brakes not working properly when vehicle shuts down.

Filed May 26, 2016 · Brakes · 156,000 miles · GA

Owner has replaced brakes and rotors several times. When driving, the driver feels as if they are pushing against resistance, like the emergency brake is engaged. Vehicle is able to move with emergency brake fully engaged. When braking, a pulse is felt, but rotors are new.

Filed Apr 4, 2016 · Brakes · 100,000 miles · KY · crash · fire

The brake line that is routed to the rear brakes rusted completely through, causing me to lose all braking function hence, control of my vehicle. I had to run off into a ditch to miss a slowing vehicle. After I had come to rest in the ditch there was an engine fire caused by brake fluid spraying onto the hot engine exhaust manifold. Fortunately, I had a fire extinguisher on board, so I was able to put the fire out before there was any damage. The interesting thing about this incident is that there is another line that runs parallel with the defective line that shows zero evidence of corrosion.

Filed Feb 3, 2016 · Brakes · 71,000 miles · IL

My vehicle experienced total brake failure as I approached a four-way stop intersection on a rural county highway. Inspection by auto repair technicians revealed my brake lines had rusted and had experienced several ruptures. The technicians said the rust was the result of ford's decision to install steel brake lines in the vehicle, rather than aluminum. When exposed to the salt prevalent on local roadways in the winter, they easily rust out long before the vehicle even approaches the beginning of the end of its life.

Filed Dec 3, 2015 · Brakes · 116,785 miles · KY

Abrupt, no warning(on digital dash) loss of braking ability. On stopping while pulling in a parking space in a parking garage, brake pedal went to the floor. Vehicle did stop without hitting concrete wall. Very scary getting the vehicle out of the garage from the 5th floor to be placed on a roll back. Dealer states brake lines have rusted and drained brake fluid causing catastrophic brake failure. Stated they have seen this before

Filed Sep 9, 2015 · Brakes · 180,000 miles · PA · fire

Tl* the contact owned a 2003 ford expedition. The contact stated that the brake pedal was depressed and smoke emitted into the vehicle from the air conditioning vents. The contact also noticed that there were flames under the hood. The fire was extinguished by the fire department. The vehicle was destroyed. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 180,000.

Filed Jul 9, 2015 · Brakes, Fuel system · 197,000 miles · WA

Truck shut off at 60mph towing a camper because my fuel pump relay blew because of a defect in the fuse box!! Almost killed us........ Not happy at all. I've spoken to many mechanics and been on many forums and this seems to be a wide spread and dangerous issue ford should take care of. Spoke with the local ford parts department and they are aware of the issue. This is not a cheap part by any means, but on top of that it almost killed my wife and family! Please do something about this defect. I can send you pictures of the fuse box board so you can see the burns.

Questions about the 2003 Ford Expedition brakes

Does the 2003 Ford Expedition have brakes problems?

Owners have filed 87 complaints about the brakes of the 2003 Ford Expedition, 14% of all its complaints.

At what mileage do 2003 Ford Expedition brakes problems start?

The typical (median) mileage in owner complaints is 27,100 miles.

Was there a recall on the 2003 Ford Expedition brakes?

There is no recall for this problem on this model year.

What year does the Ford Expedition have bad brakes?

The Ford Expedition model years with the most brakes complaints are 1997 (108 complaints), 2003 (87 complaints) and 2017 (75 complaints).

Other 2003 Ford Expedition problems

Engine 171Electrical 104Airbags 59Tires 57Transmission 50Fuel system 38Visibility 38Body 32Acceleration 20Steering 20Suspension 20Seat belts 14Lights 12Locks 11Seats 11Wheels 6Driver assistance 5

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